On our beautiful French Riviera, the middle of the night is filled with a multitude of characters, each as interesting as the next. Fredéric Raton is one of them. Passionate about an art form that is too little known in France, but recognized worldwide, he has agreed to share his passion with us.
Nice-Première: Fred, first can you explain what flair is?
Fredéric Raton: Flair is quite simple; it’s the art of juggling bottles. But the exact term is flair bartending. It’s not just about putting on a show but above all about making a cocktail. There are 2 styles of flair: the working flair which I practice and the Exhibition Flair. As its name suggests, working flair is about making cocktails. It’s a way of working, a way to make the preparation of a cocktail enjoyable to watch for the customer waiting for their drink. Exhibition Flair, on the other hand, isn’t primarily about making cocktails. For me, it’s more like juggling than anything else, and it doesn’t interest me.
N.P.: How did you come to pursue this career?
F.R.: I’ve always wanted to do this job. When I was a kid, my father had built a real bar in the house, and we spent our Sundays making cocktails. I was 12. That’s where my desire to discover this way of doing things came from, as well as the love for the products. I always tried new cocktails by varying the ingredients. But at the time, I had no idea that I would make it my profession.
N.P.: Tell us a bit about your journey.
F.R.: I’m from Pornic. That’s where I started working in the restaurant industry as a waiter because, having no professional experience, it’s one of the few jobs where they give you a chance. So, waiter for 3 years and then jumped behind the bar as a seasonal worker in a ski resort. After my high school diploma, I moved to Paris where I first worked at Bistro Romain on the Champs Elysées, then at Planet Hollywood. That’s also where I met people who did flair. Particularly, Xavier Simonet, Steeve Brenes, and John Dopéré. These guys taught me the basics of flair but especially the real job of a bartender. I mean: product knowledge, stock management, cleaning, and of course, service. And after Planet, I was hired at the FBI.
N.P.: The FBI?
F.R.: Yes, the FBI. Which meant the Freestyle Bartending Institute. I speak in the past because the place is closed today. It was the only bar where all the bartenders did flair. Moreover, everything was made for flair. It was a real American-style bar. I progressed a lot there with Xavier. I finish my journey. After the FBI, I was poached to become the manager of a bar that was going to open at the time, the Backstages Café, on rue de la gaieté still in Paris. It was me who designed the bar plan according to what I wanted to be able to work well. But after a year I left because the bosses’ policy no longer matched my vision of flair. That’s when I came to the Côte d’Azur. I worked for a year at Star’s and Bar’s and then after I did a short 6-month stint in London at Planet Hollywood. Return to Monaco at Karément where I stayed until October 2005.
